Too Many Hoops to Jump Through?

MMiz

I put the M in EMTLife
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In North Carolina it seems like a paramedic makes $15-$20 an hour. Looking at local agencies, they require:
  1. Online application
  2. Physical agility test
  3. Written test
  4. Oral interview
  5. Patient simulator test
  6. Academy
  7. Third-ride status with FTO until certain milestones met
That seems like a lot of work for a job that pays so little and is in such high demand.

Is this typical? What am I missing?
 

NPO

Forum Deputy Chief
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In North Carolina it seems like a paramedic makes $15-$20 an hour. Looking at local agencies, they require:
  1. Online application
  2. Physical agility test
  3. Written test
  4. Oral interview
  5. Patient simulator test
  6. Academy
  7. Third-ride status with FTO until certain milestones met
That seems like a lot of work for a job that pays so little and is in such high demand.

Is this typical? What am I missing?
Yes, this is typical. Some places require less. This isn't a job for the money. If you aren't willing to do a basic onboarding process, how badly do you really want the job?
 

Achilles

Forum Moron
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In North Carolina it seems like a paramedic makes $15-$20 an hour. Looking at local agencies, they require:
  1. Online application
  2. Physical agility test
  3. Written test
  4. Oral interview
  5. Patient simulator test
  6. Academy
  7. Third-ride status with FTO until certain milestones met
That seems like a lot of work for a job that pays so little and is in such high demand.
if it’s too much for you, don’t apply.
 

DesertMedic66

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That is a fairly normal process for the areas/systems I am familiar with.
 

akflightmedic

Forum Deputy Chief
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Typical across MANY states and many services. Some more. Some less.
 
OP
OP
MMiz

MMiz

I put the M in EMTLife
Community Leader
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if it’s too much for you, don’t apply.

I'm not applying for any service, was just spending some time getting a feel for the job market in the area and was wondering if it was typical of agencies across the nation.

I'm surprised that with so much demand for ALS-level providers there are still so many hoops to jump through.
 

DesertMedic66

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I'm not applying for any service, was just spending some time getting a feel for the job market in the area and was wondering if it was typical of agencies across the nation.

I'm surprised that with so much demand for ALS-level providers there are still so many hoops to jump through.
I don’t really even consider those hoops to jump through. That is a standard entry process. I had to do the same process for my EMT job, entry into medic school, my medic job, and my flight medic job.
 

NPO

Forum Deputy Chief
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I'm not applying for any service, was just spending some time getting a feel for the job market in the area and was wondering if it was typical of agencies across the nation.

I'm surprised that with so much demand for ALS-level providers there are still so many hoops to jump through.
No one wants a sub-par medic/employee. This is part of the process to make sure you'll fit in.

It's also pretty standard for most technical jobs across most industries; it's not unique to EMS.
 

Akulahawk

EMT-P/ED RN
Community Leader
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In North Carolina it seems like a paramedic makes $15-$20 an hour. Looking at local agencies, they require:
  1. Online application
  2. Physical agility test
  3. Written test
  4. Oral interview
  5. Patient simulator test
  6. Academy
  7. Third-ride status with FTO until certain milestones met
That seems like a lot of work for a job that pays so little and is in such high demand.

Is this typical? What am I missing?
Most of this seems to have been reasonably standard since I started in EMS many years ago. In a way, most of that was also part of my hospital on-boarding process at each hospital I worked at. The Oral Interview is there basically to see if you will fit into the local culture. As to the "Academy" that's basically a day (or a few) to formally show you the ways the company does things. Other industries do have a very similar process, though the specific steps may have different names or specific components, but it's all to find out if you're going to fit and be a likely productive team member.

Job candidates can be brought on board very quickly, even using this many steps and it's really not that difficult. Steps 2-5 can be easily done in a day. Those people that are offered a job progress to step 6, spend a little time learning "the new way" along with doing lots of on-boarding paperwork, and then progress to step 7 for however long it takes to be turned loose.
 

DrParasite

The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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In North Carolina it seems like a paramedic makes $15-$20 an hour. Looking at local agencies, they require:
  1. Online application
  2. Physical agility test
  3. Written test
  4. Oral interview
  5. Patient simulator test
  6. Academy
  7. Third-ride status with FTO until certain milestones met
That seems like a lot of work for a job that pays so little and is in such high demand.

Is this typical? What am I missing?
When I started (in the late 90s), all we had was a paper application. maybe a written interview with a supervisor. After 3 shifts, you were allowed to ride as a second. Suffice it to say, we had a lot of duds. people who wouldn't do an assessment, people who wouldn't carry someone in a stairchair or lift the stretcher into the ambulance, people who didn't know anything about A&P, and even after I had been working for a few years, there were differences among providers as to what the "correct" way to do something was (and by correct I mean, how the agency wanted you to do something, like documentation, not necessarily the right way).

Looking at the 7 items you list, #1 is easy, just fill out the application. That's pretty standard. #2 is important, because why would an agency hire someone if they couldn't physically do the job? #3, do they have the baseline knowledge to do the job? yes, they passed the class (and some people we look at and wonder how), but do they still have that knowledge? #4, while these tend to be subjective, how does that applicant respond to questions form field staff? will they fit in personality wise? #5, how do they actually do the job? Can they perform an assessment? 2-5 can all be accomplished in a day, or in two days (if you want to do the PAT the day before, and those who pass, can do the rest). Also remember, the sole purpose of any interview process is to find reasons NOT to hire someone. I know that sounds different that what you have heard in the past, but hiring is critical to an organizations success, and hiring the wrong person can be much more expensive than hiring the right person.

6 and 7 are new parts of the "orientation process," and too many place don't do this. having an academy ensures all new hires are taught the same stuff, and start on the same page. have you ever had two senior people who tell you the "right" way to do something, and they aren't saying the same thing? academy is supposed to fix that. And you are paid the entire time, which is a plus. Your FTO time is another important step; while some FTOs do suck (lord knows I've seen my share), most just want you to succeed. After all, we all know people who are cleared but still can't do the job.

Truth be told, it's a lot better than the old way of an application, an interview, and throw you on the truck and pray you don't kill someone.
 

SandpitMedic

Crowd pleaser
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If you think those are hoops- try getting a job as a PA.

More money more problems is how the old saying goes.
 
OP
OP
MMiz

MMiz

I put the M in EMTLife
Community Leader
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If you think those are hoops- try getting a job as a PA.

More money more problems is how the old saying goes.

You had to take knowledge, skills, and physical fitness tests when applying to a PA job?

I get all of the bureaucratic paperwork, I think that's expected for most jobs. I just don't know of many other professions that require so many tests after one is credentialed.
 

Peak

ED/Prehospital Registered Nurse
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You had to take knowledge, skills, and physical fitness tests when applying to a PA job?

I get all of the bureaucratic paperwork, I think that's expected for most jobs. I just don't know of many other professions that require so many tests after one is credentialed.

Allow me to introduce you to the hospital employee health nurse.

Somehow every hospital system has actually managed to hire the same person, although she may look different and have a different name.

You could drink 5 gallons of water a day but she will tell you it isn’t enough.

Even though she groaned getting up from her chair if you can’t touch your toes while doing the splits on a balancing beam you aren’t flexible enough, and you need to stretch more.

Your vaccine record could have been printed out literal moments before from the same hospital system, but she won’t be sure if it is complete and might need to move back your start date. Corollary even though you just had a negative quantifiron gold three weeks ago she will need two negative PPDs now.

You will have signed her paperwork in the wrong place, even though she will have you resign it in front of her in the same place.

She isn’t sure if your ACL repair from 8 years ago will affect your job, even though you’ve been doing the same job somewhere else for the same length of time. She will need to get in contact with your manager to talk about that.

Did I mention that you don’t drink enough water?
 

Tigger

Dodges Pucks
Community Leader
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I think a solid onboarding process is the sign of a quality agency. Our hiring process is rigorous and we've hired some awesome people. Our FI process is better than average and makes sure that paramedics get up to speed with the "local standard of care."

There is such great variety in EMT and paramedic education that some, or often a lot, of supplemental education is needed to get folks up to speed, especially those that didn't come from a local program.
 

hometownmedic5

Forum Asst. Chief
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Hiring every schmuck that walks in the door is a great way to ruin an organization. This totally reasonable process isn't a guarantee that you won't still hire a dud, but it's an attempt to move away from the historical approach of "meat in the seat". I've been hired in the room before and been on a truck within a day. That was not a respectable organization.
 

NomadicMedic

I know a guy who knows a guy.
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Hiring every schmuck that walks in the door is a great way to ruin an organization. This totally reasonable process isn't a guarantee that you won't still hire a dud, but it's an attempt to move away from the historical approach of "meat in the seat". I've been hired in the room before and been on a truck within a day. That was not a respectable organization.

same. Desperation leads to bad results.
 

SandpitMedic

Crowd pleaser
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Hiring every schmuck that walks in the door is a great way to ruin an organization. This totally reasonable process isn't a guarantee that you won't still hire a dud, but it's an attempt to move away from the historical approach of "meat in the seat". I've been hired in the room before and been on a truck within a day. That was not a respectable organization.
I’m going to start calling you Preacher!
 

Jim37F

Forum Deputy Chief
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My very first EMT job after getting my cert, I applied (online app). A few days later they called me to set up an interview, but was basically an ad hoc phone interview, though nothing too serious. Show up, took a quick, basic written test. They had me do a quick skills test (half of which involved putting a regulator on an O2 tank like i was changing the bottle out) and then the formal interview. Got the job offer, don't even remember if I had to do a physical or not, but got uniforms, had like a week long Orientation, 2 weeks of 3rd rider FTO time, then assigned to a regular shift to take as many people from Cedars to SNF, Non-Kaiser to Kaiser, etc transports as I could for them lol

From application to Orientation was maybe a couple weeks tops, and part of that was I applied in December and had to wait till after Christmas/New Years to actually start.

For my last primary 911 EMT transport job, it was actually fairly similar. Apply, go into office for a written test, then did a map test using the local Mapbook. Week or so later get called in for skills test. This involved a weighted 150lb rescue dummy, I forget the order, I either dragged it a set distance around the room first and then did a simulated trauma assessment or vice versa, then did the formal interview. Got job offer, signed a big stack of paperwork, sent to their occupational health clinic for pre hire physical (which at the end included lifting some weights and squats and the like), got an appointment to pick up uniforms, 2 week Orientation/academy, I think a months worth of FTO?

Both of those were for $15/hr CA min wage, Basic EMT transport jobs essentially (even the 911 as Fire was the lead agency)

So not too different from the OP process
 
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